1) NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

Thanks to everyone who has supported VRG in the past and continues to do
so. Last month I announced our need for assistance in order to attend the
2001 National Restaurant Association Annual Meeting. We received several
contributions through our donation page on the website and were contacted
by The Animal Protection Institute (API). They contributed a sizable amount
toward our efforts to bring vegetarianism to a large audience of food service
professionals. This is what API had to say,

"We believe that this outreach effort is essential to increasing the availability
of vegetarian food in restaurants, which in turn will increase public awareness
of vegetarian food and will make choosing a vegetarian lifestyle easier."

"From our perspective, promoting a vegetarian lifestyle is a subtle yet profound
way to dramatically change the lives of billions of farm animals and the
destruction of the environment caused by meat production; also of great
importance, of course, are the health benefits for human animals. We applaud
VRG's efforts in what we see as a common goal shared between our organizations."

2) NEW VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN PRODUCTS

When we received a sample of Island Blaze Papaya Hot Sauce I was the first
in line to sample it. My fondness for hot sauces is well-known around the
VRG office. I took it home and have splashed it on everything from rice to
potatoes to bean burritos. It has an interesting balance of tangy, fruity,
and spicy flavors. Island Blaze also offers hot sauces made with mango, passion
fruit, and tamarind chili. They are all natural and kosher certified. For
more information contact Deb-El Foods at
debelfood@aol.com or call (908) 351-0330.

3) MEATOUT 2001 IS COMING!

The 17th Annual Great American Meatout is poised for March 20, 2001. This
national campaign is coordinated by Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM), a
national public-interest, non-profit organization. Individual events are planned
and conducted by local consumer, environmental, and animal protection groups.
Across the country there will be public dinners, cooking demonstrations,
a congressional reception, and information tables set up at supermarkets,
schools, and libraries.

If you are planning on attending or organizing an event, don't forget that
VRG has brochures and books in quantity. Go to our materials list
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/materials.htm
to see the variety of information available. We offer special activist prices
for the books. If you are interested please email Jeannie at
jeannie@vrg.org with your name, address,
and the name of your group.

4) VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT PACKAGES

Looking for something special for Valentine's Day for a vegetarian in your
life? We have new Valentine's Day gift packages. These special offers are
primarily available to our web visitors. Packages include The Gourmet Cook,
The Beginning Vegetarian, Just For Fun, and The Traveling Vegetarian. These
package deals come with FREE shipping via Fed Ex Ground/Priority Mail and
FREE gift wrapping. To read more about the packages offered go to
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/valentine.htm

5) NYC RESTAURANTS

I was recently in New York City and visited two restaurants worth mentioning.
I had read about Zen Palate and was finally able to experience it for myself.
I dined at the location near Union Square. The menu was filled with tantalizing
sounding dishes. I ordered the Sweet and Sour Sensation and my dining companions
ordered Shepherd's Pie Croquettes and Sesame Medallions. All were delicious
and the service was impeccable. The building itself was beautiful in its
simplicity and design. For more information about Zen Palate (there are several
locations in the NYC area) visit
http://www.zenpalate.com.

The afternoon we spent walking around St Mark's Place was quite cold. We
just happened to stumble across The Sanctuary, an all-vegetarian restaurant
at 25 First Ave. The food was exactly what I needed to warm and restore me.
I had hot soymilk and Malaysian BeeHun, a dish made with rice noodles,
cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, and tofu. My mother said her
un-turkey sandwich and fresh French fries were also very satisfying. The
server here was exceptionally helpful. Almost all of the menu is vegan, or
can be made vegan, and the few dairy dishes they make are noted as non-vegan.
I also got a piece of tofu cheesecake for the trip home and it was fabulous!
For more information about the restaurant call (212) 780-9786.

To learn about hundreds of additional restaurants from New York to Iowa to
Arizona, purchase a copy of Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural
Foods Restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Also featured are listings
of vegetarian inns, spas, camps, tours, travel agencies and vacation spots.
If you know of a restaurant that should be listed, please help us update
the guide at
http://www.vrg.org/travel/restupdate.htm.
To order Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural Foods Restaurants
in the U.S. and Canada (371 pages) online go to
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/guide.htm.

6) RECIPE OF THE MONTH - CORN CHOWDER

This recipe originally appeared in
Simply Vegan
by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels, PhD, RD.
Serves 5

There are over 160 vegan recipes featured in
Simply Vegan.
There is also an extensive section on vegan nutrition, sample menus, and
product information. If you are interested in learning more quick and easy
recipes, you can order a copy of Simply Vegan on our website at
https://skyport.net/vrg/order.htm
or call (410) 366-8343 to order over the phone with a Visa or MasterCard.
The $13 price includes special standard shipping (US only). The cost of shipping
for international orders varies, so please contact us at
vrg@vrg.org if you are outside the US.

7) JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2001 VEGETARIAN JOURNAL ONLINE

The January / February 2000 Vegetarian Journal articles online include:

Using the Ol' Bean, by Nancy Berkoff

Notes from the Coordinators: Empathy and Justice

Product Reviews: Guide to Non-Dairy "Milks"

Notes from the Scientific Department: Roper Poll on the Number of Teen Vegetarians

Nutrition Hotline: The relationship between soy products and menopause,and feeding vegan snacks to a class of preschoolers

The Journal features informational and recipe articles, product and
book reviews, news for vegetarian activists, and up-to-date information about
vegetarian health and nutrition. If you are not currently a subscriber to
the Vegetarian Journal, why not subscribe today?

Subscriptions to Vegetarian Journal are $20/year in the US (please
inquire for subscription rates outside the US). Accepted forms of payment,
all in US funds, are Visa, MasterCard, checks drawn on US banks, and postal
money orders. When joining, please send us your name, address, phone number,
and e- mail address. If paying by credit card please include the card number
and expiration date.

8) NEW COLLEGE-LEVEL ONLINE COURSE ON VEGETARIANISM

New college-level online course on vegetarianism, taught by Chef Nancy Berkoff,
RD. Originally designed as an advanced nutrition class for culinary students,
the course has been expanded to include topics of interest for everyone
interested in food, health, small business, and vegetarianism. Consumers
can learn more about vegetarian cooking; institutional food service staff
and managers can expand their knowledge about new products and cooking styles,
and restaurateurs will certainly be better able to please their vegan diners.
Topics will include types of vegetarians, recipe and menu design, careers
in vegetarian food services, ethnic cuisines, ingredient selection, vegetarian
nutrition and health trends, and vegetarian business topics. College credit
is optional and the course is open to the public. The cost for the course
is $100 ($90 for VRG members). There is an additional cost to receive college
credit. For more information online go to
http://www.vrg.org/berkoff/introduction.htm
or call (410) 366-8343.

9) VRG JOB OPENINGS: COMPUTER SUPPORT and CIRCULATION MANAGER

COMPUTER SUPPORT
P/T, but could be combined with another position for a full time job. Help
to keep computer software/hardware/network up to date and running smoothly.
Familiarity with networking and software/hardware support experience helpful.
Must be a problem solver and enjoy troubleshooting computer issues. Send
resume and cover letter to VRG, Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

CIRCULATION MANAGER
VRG seeks Jack or Jill of all trades knowledgeable in vegetarianism to process
memberships/subscriptions, answer phone, talk to the media, and more. Must
be comfortable with detail work, computers, flexibility, planning, and improving
systems. Includes health and dental insurance. Send resume and cover letter
to VRG, Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or e-mail
vrg@vrg.org.

10) UPCOMING VEGETARIAN EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

1st Annual Southeastern Compassion for Animals Action
Symposium

On Saturday and Sunday February 24-25 the 1st Annual Southeastern Compassion
for Animals Action Symposium will take place in Gainesville, FL. There will
be experts on animal ethics, factory farming, wildlife, vegetarian nutrition,
and more.

11) ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP

Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and
individuals to bring about healthy changes in your school, workplace, and
community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of
nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about
vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization.
Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, and book sales.
The Vegetarian Journal, a bi-monthly print magazine, is a benefit
of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see the
"November/December 2000 Vegetarian Journal Online" above or back issues
online at http://www.vrg.org/journal/.)

If you would like to make a donation, become a member, or find out
more about The VRG, contact us at: The Vegetarian Resource Group PO Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203 Phone: (410) 366-8343 Fax: (410) 366-8804 E-mail:
vrg@vrg.org Website:
www.vrg.org

12) ABOUT VRG-NEWS

VRG-News is the monthly e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource
Group. This is an announcement list, so subscriber messages are not accepted
by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact
the list manager, Bobbi Pasternak, at
bobbi@vrg.org. If you have any suggestions,
ideas, or corrections to VRG-News, direct them to
vrg@vrg.org. Thanks!

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Contents of VRG-News are copyright 2001 by The Vegetarian Resource
Group. The newsletter may be freely distributed in electronic or print form
provided its contents are not altered and credit is given to The Vegetarian
Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

The contents of this web site, as with
all The Vegetarian Resource Group publications, is not
intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical
advice should be obtained from a qualified health
professional.

Any pages on this site may be
reproduced for non-commercial use if left intact
and with credit given to The Vegetarian Resource Group.